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Australia's 'Big Things': a cult phenomenon

The "theft" of the Big Mango
in Queensland has thrown the spotlight on something of a roadside cult phenomenon in Australia - the many, varied "Big Things" (note capital letters) that have sprouted up, mostly in rural towns all around the country. This recent midnight robbery is likely to be a giant hoax, just in case anyone had any doubts about the logic of stealing a three-storey high, immensely unwieldy fibreglass fruit. But it does reflect, in a roundabout way, the newfound respect for the gaudy structures that have popped up all around Australia. Once derided as kitsch tourist attractions, some are, in fact, genuinely impressive, leading one artist to tell the Sydney Morning Herald that he regarded them as "our pyramids, our temples."
Whether his tongue was in his cheek or not, we're not sure, but local governments appear to be paying attention - some have even heritage listed their "Big Thing" structures. Here we take a look at some of the most memorable. More Australia holiday ideas